Carbide-feeding apparatus



E. H. SMITH CARBIDE FEEDING APPARATUS Dec. 25 1923.

Filed March 29 m/vzf/vr oz flmerh. imifh Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

earn stare arrears ELMER H. SMITH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

CARBIDE-FEEDING A'PPARATUS.

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ELMER H. SMIT a citizen of the United States,resident of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbide-FeedingApparatus,'of which the following is a specification.

The objectof my invention is to provide means for feeding carbide to agenerating tank wherein a gas is produced designed particularly for anoxyacetylene torch. though the apparatus may be employed for any othersuitable purpose, if desired.

A further and particular object is to porvide a feeding means which willbe automatic in operation, will not clog, and will deliver the carbidein a uniform stream to the water in the generating tank.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a carbide feeding meansembodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view, showing the means for checking themovement of the clock mechanism under pressure of the gas.

In the drawing, 2 represents the upper portion of the generating tank,having a suitable cover 3 secured to a flange at that is mounted on theupper walls of the tank. This cover supports on the underside a carbidehopper 5 adapted to receive a quantity of carbide delivered theretothrough a feeding opening 6 in the cover. The bottom of the hopper isopen and a disc 7 is suspended beneath the opening in the hopper andsupported by suitable means, preferably a sleeve 8, which dependscentrally in the hopper and is carried by a hub 9 that is mounted in thecover 8. The edge of the disc 7 extends outwardly beyond the dischargeopening of the hopper and is spaced a sufiicient distance therefrom toallow the carbide to flow down from the hopper and spread out evenlyover the upper surface of the disc. A shaft 10 has bearings in the hub 9and extends down through the sleeve 8 and through a bearing 11 providedto receive the ends of a flexible member 15 and clamping screws 16 aremounted in said split ends for drawing them together and gripping theends of the flexible 'member. This member is preferably made of a suitable fabric or of leather, and is adapted to sag between its supportedends to a point near the surface of the disc so that when the yoke 12 isrevolved, the disc 7, being stationary, the member 15 will sweep overthe upper surface of the disc and 'feed the carbide thereon outwardlyover the edge of the disc into the water contained in the tank 2 beneath. By making this sweeping member flexible, I avoid any clogging orbinding of the feeding devices of the surface of the disc, the yieldingcharacter of the member allowing it to adapt itself to the lumps ofcarbide and sweep them along or rise sufiiciently to allow the carbideto pass under it should occasion require. Any carbide that is overriddenby the sweep member during one revolution will usually be gathered upwhen it comes around again and fed over the edge of the disc.

I prefer to operate this sweep device by means of a clock mechanism 17supported on a bracket 18 at the top of the apparatus, the shaft of theclock mechanism having the usual winding crank 19 by means of which thespring 20 can be put under ten sion. The bracket 18 has a duct orpassage 18 therein communicating with the gas chamber of the generatorand this duct leads to the underside of a diaphragm 18 that is mountedbetween the bottom plate of the motor 17 and the upper portion of thebracket 18. A spring 18 is mounted at one end in the motor frame and ablock 18 is interposed between the diaphragm and said spring so thatwhen the diaphragm is raised by the pressure of the gas one end of thespring will contact with the shaft 18 of the motor and stop the train ofgears, and consequently the further revolution of the feed device andthe discharge of the carbide into the-tank. A compression spring 18 isprovided for disengaging the spring 18 from the shaft when the pressureon the diaphragm is released.

I claim as my invention:

1. An acetylene generator comprising a tank and cover therefor, a hopperarranged within said tank and having a discharge opening, a feed platesuspended beneath said discharge opening and whereon the carbide isdelivered by gravity, a yoke sup ported beneath said feed plate andmounted for revolution and means carried by said yoke for sweeping thesurface of said plate to feed the carbide therefrom as said yokerevolves.

2. An acetylene generator comprising a tank and cover therefor, a hopperarranged within said tank and having a discharge opening, a feed platesuspended beneath said discharge opening and whereon the carbide isdelivered by gravity, a yoke having upwardly turned ends mounted forrevolution beneath said feed plate and flexibleplate carried by saidsleeve beneath said discharge opening and whereon the carbide isdelivered, a shaft depending through said sleeve below said feed plate,a yoke 'supported beneath said feed plate and mounted for revolution,and means mounted in said yoke to sweep the upper surface of said plateand feed the carbide therefrom.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of March,1920.

ELMlER H. SMITH.

